20110912020159A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 120 · Camden, AR · September 12, 2011

Date
September 12, 2011 · 11:00 local
Place
Camden, AR
Airport
Harrell Field
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N89954
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN11CA644
Reported as
Cessna 120
Reported engine
Continental C85 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
900 total20 in this make and model102 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On September 12, 2011, at 1100 CDT, Cessna CE-120, N89954, flipped over on its back during an instructional flight while the instructor was demonstrating "high speed" taxi characteristics at the Camden, Arkansas airport (kcdh). The flight instructor felt that the aircraft began to exhibit yaw instability so he applied too much braking authority and the aircraft rotated around the main landing gear onto its back. The instructor and student were not injured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The aircraft was being operated as an instructional flight under 14 CFR part 91 when the accident occurred. The flight originated at kcdh and terminated at kcdh at 1100 CDT. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a flight plan was not filed.

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2011, AT 1100 CDT, CESSNA CE-120, N89954, FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WHILE THE INSTRUCTOR WAS DEMONSTRATING "HIGH SPEED" TAXI CHARACTERISTICS AT THE CAMDEN, ARKANSAS AIRPORT (KCDH). THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FELT THAT THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO EXHIBIT YAW INSTABILITY SO HE APPLIED TOO MUCH BRAKING AUTHORITY AND THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED AROUND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR ONTO ITS BACK. THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT WERE NOT INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT KCDH AND TERMINATED AT KCDH AT 1100 CDT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.